Coffin-lid fastening and hinge



(No ModeL} I L. G. KREGEL. COFPIN LID FASTENING AND HINGE.

No. 523,041. Patented July 17, 1894.

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' UNITED STATES ATENT QFFICE.

LOUIS G. KREGEL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM C. LANGENAU, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

COFFlN-LID FASTENING AND HINGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 5 23,0241, dated July 17, 1894.

Application filed August 28, 1893. Serial No. 484,260. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS G. KREGEL, of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful ImprovementinaOombinedOoffin-LidFastening and Hinge, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail, one mechanical form embodying the invention; such detail construction being but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings-Figure I represents a transverse section of a casket or coffin, illustrating the lid as secured by my improved fastener and hinge; Fig. II, an enlarged vertical section of the fastener, taken on the line II-IV, in Fig. V, and illustrating the fastener as securing the lid to the body of the casket; Fig. III,'a vertical section of the fastener, illustrating it as in the act of being unlocked; Fig. IV, a vertical section of the fastener, illustratin g the relative positions of the parts of the fastener, when the latter is used as a hinge; Fig. V, a front edge view of the entire fastener; Fig. VI, a rear edge view of the movable part of the fastener; Fig.

VII, a top plan view of said part of the fas-.

tener; Fig. VIII, a bottom plan view of the movable part of the fastener, and Fig. IX, a top plan view of thekeeper orstationary part of the fastener.

The two parts of the fastener are respectively secured to the body, 1, and the lid 2, of a casket or coftin,the movable or hinge portion being secured at suitable distances from each other to the under sides of the edges of the lid, and the rigid portions or keepers being secured at corresponding points of the upper edges of the body of the casket. The upper edges of the body of the casket are formed with recesses, 3, over each of which is secured a rectangularly bent keeper, 4, which has a slot, 5, which extends down in the vertical, exterior side of the keeper, where it has a cross piece, 6. The keeper has thus a right angled slot which extends in the top and outer side of the same.

The lid of the casket is formed with recesses, 7, which register with the recesses in the edges of the coffin body. The movable portion of the fastener has a base plate, 8, which is secured over a recess in the lid. The base plate of the movable portion has an opening, 9, and a bolt, 10, which forms the hinge portionof the fastener, projects from the plate at said opening, and may engage the right angledslot of the keeper. The bolt is preferably formed from a U-shaped piece of metal, secured with its ends to the base plate. The bolt is formed with an offset, 10, which engages the cross piece 6, of the keeper, when the fastener is employed as a hinge. The latch, 11, is pivoted at 12, upon the base plate, and has play within the bolt. Said latch has a hook or shoulder, 13, which may normally engage under the cross piece 6, when the fastener is locked. A spring lever, 14, has its inner end secured to the base plate of the movable portion of the fastener, and has an opening, 17, through which a hook, 11, upon the latch, projects, so as to have its end, 11, bearing against the upper side of said spring lever. The outer end of the spring lever is formed into a finger hold, 16, by means of which the latch may be operated. The latch is formed with a shoulder, 11, which corresponds to and registers with the shoulder upon the bolt, so that said shoulder may engage the cross piece f the keeper when the fastener is tilted over to be used as a hinge. When in such position,-as shown in Fig. IV,-the end of the bolt bears under a lip 4, which is formed at the inner end of the right angled slot.

The lid of a casket provided with my im proved hinge and fastener may be opened from either side, by pulling upward upon the finger holds of the spring levers, such upward pull tilting the latch inward to release it from engagement with the cross piece of the keeper, thereby leaving the movable portion of the fastener free to be withdrawn from the keeper. The lid may be either entirely removed by disengaging the fasteners at both sides of the lid; or the fasteners on one side, only, may be disengaged and the lid swung open upon the opposite hinges and fasteners,the hinge portions of such fas teners swinging in the rectangular slots in the keepers.

When the lid is placed upon the body of the casket, with the bolts or hinge portions engaging the slots of the keepers, the fasteners will automatically lock, as thelatches will first be pushed back into the bolts by the cross pieces 6, whereupon the shoulders of the latches will be forced out, under said cross pieces, by the force of the spring levers bearing against the upper edge of the latches.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed for the mode herein explained. Change may therefore be made as regards the mechanism thus disclosed, provided the principles of construction set forth respectively in the following claims are employed.

I therefore particularly point out and dis tinctly claim as my invention-- 1. In a hinge and fastener for casket lids, 1

the combination of a movable part having a projecting hinge portion, a keeper having .a slot into which such hinge portion may enter 1 latch pivoted in said plate and havinga shoulder for engaging the cross piece and a hook 35 at its upper end, and aspring plate engaging said hook and bearing against the latch and provided with a finger hold, substantially as set forth.

3. In a hinge and fastener for casket lids, the combination of a plate provided with a bolt having an offset, a keeper in which said bolt may have play and which may be engaged by such offset, and a latch pivoted in the bolt to engage the keeper and formed with an oif- 45 set corresponding to the offset of the bolt, substantially as set forth.

4. In a hinge and fastener for casket lids, the combination of a latch pivoted to the lid at its upper end and adapted toengage with the body of the casket, and a spring lever secured to the lid and movably connected to actuate said latch, substantially as set forth.

5. In a hinge and fastener for casket lids, the combination of a latch pivoted to the lid and adapted to engage the body of thecasket and formed with a curved hookat its upper end, and a spring lever secured .at one endto the casket lid and havingan opening through which the hook passes, bearing against the upper portion of the latch, and provided with a finger hold, substantially as set forth.

LOUIS G. KREGEL. In presence of- A. M. EBEBSOLE, G. E. EBERSOLE. 

